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THIS BOOKLET, 

With the exception of the last four sketches, 
Contains brief descriptions of a number of the 

Residents of New Salem, Mass. 

They were originally published in 
The Athol Transcript, Athol, Mass., 

From Dec. 19, 1911, to Sept. 24, 1912 
and are here reproduced, without aheration. 

By- 
Rev. Haig Adadourian 

Minister 

Center and North Congregational Churches 

NEW SALEM, MASS. 



ATHOL. MASS. 

The Athol Transcript Company 

1913 



TO 
WILLIAM DEHON KING, Esqr., 

Of Newport, R. I., and Manomet (Plymouth), Mass. 

A Scholarly Gentleman 

and 

A Genuine Friend 

THIS BOOKLET 

IS DEDICATED 

BY 

THE AUTHOR 

Gift 
JUL I 19^3 



THE LIST OF THE PICTURES 



I. Walter Bliss 

II. Mrs. Grace Whitaker 

III. Eugene Bullard 

IV. Mrs. Sarah Bullard 

V. Daniel Ballard 

VI. Mrs. Mary Spooner 

VII. Burton Cogswell 

VIII. Willard Putnam 

IX. Perry Marshall, M. D. 

X. Dwight A. Stowell 

XI. Edwin F. Stowell 

XII. Mrs. Geneva Ballard 

XIII. J. Porter Eaton 

XIV. Mrs. Nellie Sieg 

XV. Mrs. Bertha Stowell 

XVI. Warren L. Teele 

XVII. Mrs. Ida King 

XVIII. Samuel V/,Hook 

XIX. Mrs. Cora Stowell 

XX. Orlando Henry Davenport 

XXI. William Dehon King 

XXII. Mrs. Lucy S. Sanford 

XXIII. An Adopted Son of Uncle Sam 



I. 

His Photograph. 

This is intended to be neither a word-picture nor strictly a pen-and-ink 
sketch. It contains no intricate cryptograph to burn midnight oil over. 
This is only a Transcriptograph, a new process in photography, fair as the 
moon, clear as the sun. In other words, this is a snap-shot, pure and 
simple, a sort of "hunting with a camera," or a kodak, endorsed by the 
Audubon societies, the kind of shoot that neither kills nor hurts. His eyes 
are the home of wholesome mirth and genuinely humorous twinkles. His 
head is clear, his heart large and pure. In his mouth is the law of the Lord 
and on his mind are those of his native land. The anatomy of his body con- 
tains nothing even remotely resembling the proverbial lazy bone. He is an 
agriculturist both by heredity and by choice, but he is as well fitted 
to be a cultivator of literature and of soul as he is of the soil. A deacon of 
the Church by a unanimous vote, he is, by common consent, a sterling good 
fellow. A native of the state of Massachusetts, he lives in the state of un- 
alloyed "Bliss" of singleness, with an eye single to the glory of God and 
his weather eye always open for the good of his town in particular and of 
his fellow-men in general. With the exception of the man whom he calls 
his pastor, everybody addresses him as "Walter." And he rather enjoys it. 
To his pastor, he is simply junior deacon, helpful, honest, sympathetic, 
cordial, sincere, unassuming. 



II. 

Her Living Picture. 

A little taffy when one is alive is worth more than a heap of epitaphy 
when one is dead and gone. But this is neither "taffy" nor "epitaphy." 
The writer is not that far-famed "toffee king" the papers tell about, nor is 
he engaged in the candy business. As to "epitaphy," the subject of this 
Transcriptograph will not, we sincerely hope, need it for half a century or 
more. This is simply a speaking likeness. Strength and honor are her 
clothing; "Grace," grit and gumption her adornments. In her tongue is 
the law of kindness. She looketh well to the ways of her household, and 
eateth not the bread of idleness. Whiner? Not a "Whit;" t"aker" or giver 
of offense ? Not a bit ; shirker, of duty ? Not in the least. Faithful and 
loving in her family relationships as wife and mother ; dutiful and affec- 
tionate as daughter and sister ; pleasant, faithful, cheerful and depend- 
able as a member of the community, the Church, the Circle and the 
Grange, she is in constant demand, and never a call but she responds glad- 
ly, heartily and unstintedly. 



III. 

His Vitagraph. 

He is not chairman of the town's board of selectmen. In fact, he is 
not a selectman at all. But, contradictory as it may sound, he is a select 
man, just the same. 'Tis not known that he is a nobleman by genealogical 
descent. But he is a noble man by common consent. And by dint of that 
fact, he deserves the title of '-Mayor of North New Salem." That honor 
belongs to him by inherent rights too numerous to mention. And not one 
of the residents of the north end of the old town would begrudge him that 
title. Everyone would gladly and heartily bestow it upon him. Indeed, 
he could make an excellent governor should His Excellency Gov. "Gene" 
Foss be willing to swap his chair of office with that of the virtual mayor of 
North New Salem. A Yankee to the manner born, in appearance he is a 
veritable John "Bull" — 'ard"-'eaded, soft-'earted, open-'anded and liberal- 
minded. Rooted and grounded in the faith handed down from the Pilgrim 
Fathers, he gladly welcomes with an unprejudiced mind any and every 
ray of God's truth irrespective of its source. He is not the "prelatical 
bishop" of the North church, for the obvious reason that the church is 
neither hierarchical nor Methodistic in its polity. But he takes episcopal, 
nay, archiepiscopal care of that Church, which is dear to him as the apple 
of his eye. His attitude toward its interests and its people is lovingly 
paternal and paternally loving. In addition to his official position as the 
deacon of the church, he occupies the unofficial chair of the historian of 
the town and the accredited chronicler of its academy's annals. With all 
the serious side of his great nature, he is remarkably jolly and singularly 
companionable. His hearty laugh "doeth good like a medicine," both to 
him and to those with whom he comes in contact. He is a loving husband 
an affectionate father, a fond grandpa, a zealous churchman, a model citi- 
zen, which facts render him a right subject for a bright Transcriptograph. 



IV. 
Her Biograph. 

Some women are born great, some achieve greatness and some have 
greatness thrust upon them. In respect to her birth, she belongs to the 
first class, as she does in every other respect. A ladylike woman and a 
womanly lady, she is the acknowledged queen of her household. The 
queenliness of the mother and the motherliness of the queen are writ large 
all over her reposeful, kindly and sympathetic bearing. The honored 
words, woman, lady, queen and mother, are indelibly stamped on her 
character and shine forth from all her words and deeds. In appearance she 
is not a female John "Bull— 'ard" ly that. Rather is she a typical female 
Yankee, so beautifully and accurately depicted by Harriet Beecher Stowe 
in nearly all of her New England stories. In looks, temperament, personal 
bearing, antecedents, training and environment, she embodies and conserv- 
es in her the characteristic home traditions peculiar to Yankeedom. The 
tent of "Sarah" of old could not have been more hospitable than the cheery 
home of our North New Salem "mother in Isarel," who, although a dutiful 
daughter of dear old Vermont, dearly loves Dame Massachusetts. And be- 
cause of her warm-heartedness, her living Christian faith and her ability to 
see and appreciate what is best in everybody, she sincerely loves every- 
body and is loved by everybody. Her personal acquaintance with some of 
New England's famous men and women of letters of a generation ago and 
her extensive knowledge of good books have given her a breadth of vision 
and a catholicity of spirit and sympathy that are characteristic of the sub- 
jects of these Transcriptographs "intended to be issued ever>' little while." 



V. 

His Daguerreotype. 

A rose to the living is more than sumptuous wreathes to the dead. To 
the subject of this Transcriptograph this is only a trivial tribute, just a prim- 
rose although he deserves a large bouquet of American beauty roses. But 
silver and gold have I none ; such as I have, give I him. In looks he is 
patriarchal. When he rises to speak in municipal or an ecclesiastical gath- 
ering, he is prophetic and his utterances have an apostolic ring. Friendly 
in his attitude toward his fellow-townsmen and toward his "brothers and 
sisters" in the local Church and Gra ge, he is loved by everybody. Think 
you because that massive, fatherly brow of his is silvered with the dews of 
time, that his heart is also grown old or cold ? Not so. The heart of gold 
never grows old. During these advanced years of his life, his heart retains 
its wonted warmth toward his Creator, his country, his fellowmen and his 
Church. Having been through shot and shell, having seen many an active 
cannon "Ball; ard" uous in war, although a zealous advocate of peace, he 
has learned how to endure hardness as a good soldier, both of the Civil 
War and of Jesus Christ. A lover of truth, he dares to be a "Daniel," dares 
to stand alone, dares to have a purpose true, dares to make it known. For 
he knows that there is nothing so kingly as kindness and nothing so royal 
as truth. A teacher of the Bible, he is just as anxious as any of his scholars 
to learn more of the beautiful and unsearchable riches of that exhaustless 
treasure house of knowledge. And his pastor has none in his audience who 
is a greater listener than he. And his firm handshake and warm words of 
appreciation constitute a deacon's benediction for his pastor. Benediction 
he calls them not. Nevertheless, they serve the purpose of a heartfelt 
prayer and good-will. 



VI. 

Her Ambrotype. 

"If you've anything good to say of a woman, 
Don't wait till she's laid to rest, 
For the eulogy spoken 
When hearts are broken. 
Is an empty thing at best." 

So sang a Yankee sweet singer. The dear lady whose Transcriptograph 
follows, is with us yet, for which the Lord be thanked, and we hope that 
she will be with us yet many a year to come. The blessedness of her life is 
not in doing things that the world acclaims as great, but in doing each day 
that goes by, some little good. And by constantly and conscientiously do- 
ing some little good each day that goes by, she has proved her true worth 
as woman, wife and mother. Of frail constitution, her keen intellect, de- 
cisive will and strong character amply make up for the feebleness of her 
body. A true, affectionate and devoted mother, she is idolized by her 
children. 'Tis a delightful sight to see the filial devotion she has inspired 
in them. They love her dearly and believe in her implicitly, "It's true 
for ma says so ; an' if ma says so, it's so if it ain't so," sum up their strong 
faith in their beloved mother. By her daily communion with God, the 
spiritual side of her life has been beautifully developed. There is a sweet 
reasonableness in her sublime faith and in her deep concern in the things 
that are not seen. Literally the Bible is a lamp unto her feet and a light 
unto her path. Like "Mary" of old she was born not with a gold "Spoon — 
er" a silver one either — in her mouth. But like that distinguished daugh- 
ter of Israel, her life has been adorned with virtues more precious than 
either gold or silver. Her home and her Church are her two havens of rest, 
foretokening the celestial glories, which "eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, 
neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath pre- 
pared for them that love him." 



VII. 
His Cameo. 

Who was it that declared, "An honest man is the noblest work of God ?" 
Was it Adam, Cicero, Socrates, Josh Billings or Chaunccy Depew? But no 
matter, the authorship is of no great consequence. Whoever said it, it is a 
mighty good saying and undoubtedly he knew what he was talking about. 
I have heard a cynic and a pessimist facetiously say— strange that a cynic 
can at times be facetious ! — that an honest man is a non est man. Clever 
though he was, in his funny and punny remark, he didn't know what he 
was talking about ! Had he seen the subject of this Transcriptograph, I am 
sure he would reverse his cynical verdict as to the non-existence of an 
honest man. He — our subject, not the cynic, — does not proclaim his honesty 
upon the house tops. He doesn't need to. His daily life does the proclaim- 
ing for him. Indeed, he claims, that he cannot make a public speech and 
that speechmaking is not one of his family traits. But then, what are words 
worth when one's deeds are eloquent? And his deeds certainly are elo- 
quent. A life clear as crystal, a life in which is no guile and which is be. 
yond repoach is quietly led by our ''Burt." On the score of his "front" 
name's abbreviation, however, no apology is likely to be made, as it is the 
people's favorite name for him. They like it, and he doesn't dislike it, and 
there you are ; that settles it. Faithful in the performance of his home, 
Church and Grange duties, he is a man "to tie to." The old Latin motto, 
"Age quod agis," "Do what you are doing," may be added to his family 
escutcheon, for what he does he does thoroughly— all the pieces screws and 
"Cogswell" fixed, well oiled and well-regulated, so to speak. Being handy 
with the use of all sorts of tools and machines, the metaphor just used is 
not out of harmony with his thorough-going nature. We love him and he 
loves us and is fond of his native town. And there is nothing more to say. 



VIII. 
His Photogravure. 

He is not an ordained minister, yet he lives not to be ministered unto 
but to minister to the welfare of his town. Evidently, his natural minister- 
ing instinct has been strengthened by his association with some forty of his 
college classmates who have entered into the ministry. For the advance- 
ment of public improvement and good education and for the building of 
Christian character throughout the town and neighborhood, he has unstint- 
edly given of his best — his time, money, thought, energy and ability. To 
the subject of this Trauscriptograph, life is a school to see beauty, to follow 
truth, to seize opportunity and to practice charity. He has aimed to think 
in terms of love, to love in terms of action, and to act in terms of friendship, 
and he has succeeded in his aim. A firm believer in good citizenship and 
public enlightenment, he has, as the chairman of the board of trustees 
of New Salem academy rendered faithful and efficient service to the old 
town. A man of good '-Will, ard"-ent love and prompt action, he is one of 
the leading citizens of the town. Descended from the Revolutionary gen- 
eral, whose baptismal name is Israel, he naturally appreciates good blood 
and distinguished ancestory, yet he is not an ancestor worshipper. 
He believes in faithful, personal effort, supported by the help of God, as 
man's best assets. 



IX. 

His Photolithograph. 

Medically, his patron saiuts are Hippocrates, Galen and Esculapius, al- 
though he is far in advance of those ancient lights of the art and science of 
medicine. Theologically, he follows none, although he is an admirer of 
Channing, Emerson and Martineau, Temperamentally, he is a disciple of 
Thoreau. Politically, he believes in the doctrines of Jefferson. Practically, 
he follows methods of his own and is beholden to none. He is an untiring 
searcher after truth, is the subject of our Transcriptograph. And in the 
course of his quest of truth in the realms of nature, literature, observation 
meditation and experience, he has accumulated a mass of facts which are 
always at his command and which he can "Marshall" in battle array as 
easily as could Commodore Oliver Hazard "Perry" his squadron. But the 
martial expressions made use of in this connection are no index to his 
pacific nature. "Pax vobiscum," or "Salaam aleykum," or some other 
equivalent of that peaceful sentiment is his usual mode of salutation. And 
one shouldn't be surprised in the least were that sentiment expressed in 
Chinese, Japanese, Burmese, Cingalese or Hindustanee. How well posted 
our friend is on multitudinous subjects under the sun only those know who 
are acquainted with him. Zululand and Timbuctoo, international law, 
ancient history, temperance and hymn books, too, are only a few of the 
assortment. The rest can easily be guessed. But aside from a vast fund of 
varied information, our friend has a heart which, after all, is his best part 
and in which abounding kindness dwells. And with kindness go sympathy, 
tender feelings and brotherliness. He is not a native of the town, nor an 
alumnus of its ancient academy. Yet, for all intents and purposes, he is 
both and is sure to remain as such to the end of the chapter. Which end» 
we hope, will be long, very long in coming. 



His Electrotype. 

He is a true gentleman habitually, because he is a gentleman instinct- 
ively, is the subject of this Transcriptograph. Refined are his thoughts, 
words, deeds and dealings. Nothwithstanding his serious looks, he is by no 
means a man of gloomy temperament. Possessed of a keen sense of humor, 
a merry twinkle is no stranger to his eyes. Industrious, patient, faithful, 
true blue, he represents the best of New England's good traditions. His 
daily life is an exemplification of the charity that never fails, the humility 
that never boasts, the patience that never tires and the hope that never 
fades. True to the fundamental principles of true gentlemanliness, his 
every thought and deed by act of virtue moves, and his generous tongue 
disdains to speak the thing his heart disproves. To his plighted word and 
trust he has ever firmly stood, and though he promise to his loss, he makes 
his promise good. Unlike Timothy "Dwight," he is no hymnologist, com- 
posing such classic hymns like "I Love Thy Kingdom Lord." But he 
dearly loves the Kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ. Unlike any member 
of the well-known jewelry firms of Tiffany or "Stowell," he cannot look at 
his gems and say, "These are my jewels," for the simple reason that he has 
no gem to look at. But looking at his fine group of children he can, with 
pardonable pride, declare, "These are my jewels." Although constantly 
busy with his farm and family yet he finds time occasionally to take part in 
local performances of social and historical character, in which participations 
and impersonations he has no superior and but few equals. The glory of a 
town like New Salem is in its citizens like him, and it goes without saying 
that the town's greatest glory is centered in its model citizenesses, who are 
the mothers, wives, sisters, daughters, and excellent maiden aunts of such 
citizens. 



XI. 

His Silhouette. 

He is widely known outside the limits of the old township not only as 
the general merchant on "Salem Hill," but also as the former member of 
the General Court. And as a man experienced in legislative affairs, he 
"knows the ropes" of politics no less than he does the ins and outs of com- 
mercial career. As a business man as well as a public ofRcial of the town, 
he is in the public eye. And as the town watches him transact its entrust- 
ed business, he can stand up and unhesitatingly look the town straight in 
the eye, as honesty and faithfulness in public and private life are two of his 
well-known characteristics. And no one knows more about the past and 
present of New Salem than he does a d with his invariably obliging nature, 
he is glad to answer all reasonable questions, provided they are not "fool 
questions." He loves a joke, does the subject of our Transcriptograph, 
and no one in town can detect and relish a pleasantry in private conversa- 
tion or public speech quicker than he. Unlike Sir "Edwin" Arnold, author 
of "The Light of Asia," he writes not poetry, but deer-hunting and mar- 
riage licenses and burial permits and an occasional national or savings bank 
check. Although he issues licenses for marriages— the more the merrier— 
and for deer-hunting, it is not known that he ever issued a license for dear- 
hunting, for the simple reason that the dear-hunters require no license. 
Every dear hunter is a law unto himself. Our friend loves good literature 
and good poetry and if he is not poetic, his life is not prosaic, either. A 
man who has to deal with many of the townspeople as he does cannot be 
prosaic. He knows how to deal with people judiciously and tactfully. In 
the art of hearty laughter, he is a pastmaster and never does he hesitate to 
be-"Stow well" his smiles upon people whom he likes. And he has a 
large capacity for liking people, if they are in any way likable. Multum 
in parvo. Owing to his residence of many years in town and his connection 
wilh municipal, academic and Grange affairs, he fills a big and an import- 
ant place in the counsels of the old town. His many friends wish for him 
a long continuance of his services to the town of his adoption. 



XII. 
Her Radiograph. 

An honored member of the younger generation is the subject of this 
Transcriptograph. Her hfe has been one of useful activity in her own 
family circle, and it has been in the Grange affairs of the town and of the 
district, also in the educational matters of the town. An almost life-long 
resident of the town and a graduate of its old academy, she knows what the 
town needs along educational lines and, as a member of the school com- 
mittee, she has proved her efficiency as a capable town official. She is in- 
timately acquainted with books but she is not bookish. Her hands and 
mind being constantly occupied with the care of her two lively little 
daughters, the younger of whom she laughingly calls Perpetual Motion, she 
is not likely to be bookish. Hers is the pen of a ready writer, as the read- 
ers of the local papers know to their delight. And her facile tongue is well 
able to express her clear-cutand well-defined thoughts. Althoughshehasnot 
traveled much, yet by dint of her knowledge of books, not a noted European 
city, London, Paris, Berlin, Venice or "Geneva," not even such an un- 
noticed locality like "Ballard" vale, in old Bay State, is a terra incognita 
to her. Happy in her family, there certainly is music in her soul, which is 
a befitting accompaniment to the violin and trombone music produced by 
the man whose family name she bears. She loves harmony and she has it 
in abundance in her cozy home, which is the habitat of harmonious music 
and loving harmony. 



XIII. 
His Metzograph. 

The ancient saying, "The hoary head is a crown of glory if it be found 
in the way of righteousness," well applies to the subject whose Transcripto- 
graph is hereby appended. His head is hoary and, although his limbs are 
not so springy as they were half a century ago, yet he "gets around" as 
well as many a man many years his junior. Level-headed, large-hearted 
and cheerful-faced, he believes in the old adage, "Live and let live." A 
most conscientious master carpenter, he has pnt up some substantial resi- 
dences in town, that are enduring witnesses to his painstaking, thorough- 
going honest nature. Straightforward in all his dealings, he is a workman 
that needeth not to be ashamed. A man of cheerful temperament, in the 
song service of the Church no one takes part with greater enjoyment and 
zest than he. In his younger days his voice, as a choir singer, has helped 
to enrich many a Church service, and now that he has long passed the 
Davidic age-limit, he takes his place among the singers in the pews. And 
he dearly loves to be found in his pew. "I would rather be a 'Porter' in 
the house of my God than to dwell in the tents of wickedness," seems to 
be his life motto. In preaching services he is a most attentive hstener. 
To him the Word of God is food for the sustenance of his soul and he seems 
to be ambitious to "Eat-on" and digest it as much as possible. An honor- 
ed member of the "old school," and as a connecting link between the 
generations gone by and the present age, his life is an incentive for good 
and honorable citizenship before the rising generation. 



XIV. 
Her Garograph. 

There are women who are witty, 

There are women who are gritty, 

There are women who are worth their weight in gold, 

There are women who are truthful, 

There are women who are youthful — 

Was ever there a woman really old ? 
No. The subject of this Transcriptograph is never old, although it is a 
number of years since she has passed the meridian of her life. Never os- 
tentatious or obtrusive, her personality is nevertheless strongly felt in the 
community. The widow of a Civil War veteran, she is an enthusiastic 
patriot. And her patriotism is greatly influenced and enhanced by her in- 
timate knowledge of the affairs of the nation, extending over a long period. 
Naturally, on the occasion of Memorial day exercises, or on any local cele- 
bration of historic character no one is more efficient a worker than she. 
"Light" is the meaning of her baptismal name, which is the diminutive of 
the name of Emperor Constantine's mother. But the inner light that is 
in her is neither diminutive nor diminishing. This is a "Sieg-"nificant 
fact indicating the solid nature of education imparted to the students in 
the old New Salem academy. She has had hershareof life'ssorrows, yetlier 
sorrows have neither embittered her life nor weakened herbrightvision and 
general ovttlook of things. She cherishes good cheer and is sustained by 
it. She takes life as she finds it and makes the best of it. 



XV 

Her Chemitype 

The Hindoos say that their greatest god, comtiieucing to create woman, 
discovered that with man he had exhausted all his creative materials, and 
that not one single element had been left. This, of course, greatly per- 
plexed the old god and caused him to fall into a profound meditation. 
When he arose from it he proceeded as follows. He took the roundness 
of the moon, the undulating curves of the serpent and the graceful twist 
of the creeping plant, the light shivering of the grass blade and the slend- 
erness of the willow, the velvety softness of the flowers, the lightness of 
the feather, the gentle gaze of the doe, the frolicsomenessof the sunbeam, 
the tears of the cloud, the inconstancy of the wind, the timidness of the 
hare, the vanity of the peacock, the hardness of the diamond, the sweet- 
ness of honey, the cruelty of the tiger, the heart of the fire, the chill of 
snow, the cackling of the parrot, and the cooing of the turtle dove. All 
these he mixed together and formed woman. Then he presented her to 
man. 

The above is the picture of the Oriental woman from the Hindoo 
viewpoint. Not being an Oriental lady, however, the subject of our Trans- 
criptograph does not bear in her makeup all of these divergent elements. 
But undoubtedly .-he is the possessor of the best ingredients in the above 
list. In that long list one element is lacking— energy. It is the quality 
par excellence that crowns all her other good qualities. Her maiden name 
is identical with that of the illustrious author oi "Snowbound." But 
"bound" is not the word to describe her nature with. Not "bound" but 
♦'independent" is the word— independent as the Queen of Sheba. 

The name which, in lieu of her maiden name, was be-" Stow (ell) "ed 
upon her at the hymeneal altar, is as honored as her original name. 
Hence, she is no loser in the transaction. With her keen business sense, 
she could'ntbe cheated in any bargain. Her baptismal name is Old Ger- 
man for "bright" and it is no misnomer. The name describes the person. 
A pleasant conversationalist and a gracious hostess, as well as a capable 
manager, she makes an excellent vivacious boarding house mistress during 
the summer season. A devoted wife and affectionate mother, a loving 
daughter and a neat housekeeper, she enjoys life as intensely as any heir- 
ess, and more than many a millionairess we know of. 



XVI. 
His Electrotint. 

He is a. member not of the " House of Bishops' ' but of a house of dea- 
cons. A family of five brothers, including himself, all deacons in good and 
regular standing in five Baptist Churches, is rarely, if at all, met with in 
Church circles. As superintendent of Sunday schools and as deacon for 
three decades, he has rendered loving, faithful, earnest and efficient service 
to the Church of Jesus Christ. As a lay Christian worker, his efforts have 
resulted in the formation of four Churches and in the conversion of many 
ycung men and women. He is not a blood relation to Gen. Joseph 
"Warren" who was killed at Bunker hill. But there exists a kinship of 
souls between the old patriot and the subject of our Transcriptograph, as he 
is a Civil War veteran. Hence, he is no stranger to "S-Teele," fire and 
banners. A heart of steel against all forms of sin, the fire of the Spirit for 
his work in the Church and for his daily tasks and the love of the banner 
of the Cross are his precious possessions. New Salem is his chosen abiding 
place and therein he finds peace and employment, also satisfaction and en- 
joyment every day. 



XVII. 
Her Microphotograph. 

Music has charms to soothe a savage breast, 

To soften rocks, or bend a knotted oak; 

I've read that things inanimate have moved, 

And, as with Hving souls, have been inform'd, 

By magic numbers and persuasive sound. 

So sang the poet. But New Salem has not within its borders a savage 
to be charmed, aUhough it has tons of rocks to be softened and many a 
knotted oak to be bent. The subject of this Transcriptograph is possessed 
of vocal power to charm not only "a savage breast," but also many a sage 
head. New Salem harbors within its borders a few of the latter class. Her 
baptismal name means " Godlike " in Old German. Not an inappropriate 
adjective surely. For is not man or woman created in the image of God, 
the heavenly " King ? " Among her native precious talents, one is quite 
marked. We refer to her voice, which she cheerfully uses on patriotic 
and other public functions held in town or vicinity, And she is respected 
by all who know her, not only for her ability to sing but also for her will- 
ingness to serve. Whatsoever her hand finds to do, she does it with her 
might. All her faculties, including her vocal power, indicate a good drill, 
hence they are capable of producing a wholesome thrill m others. 



XVIII. ' 
His Chromolithograph. 

He is not of lineal descent of Theodore " Hook' ', the celebrated English 
wit, who flourished in the early part of the 19th century. Yet our friend 
the subject of this Transcriptograph, is as good a connoisseur and producer 
of real wit and meritorious witticism as was the brilliant English humorist. 
Did he, by hook or by crook, belong to the family of old Theodore, he would 
be an ascendant not a descendant, for he is firm believer in ascending and 
not descending, in rising and not sinking. But our friend's appreciation and 
enjoyment of humor is not his only marked trait. He has a large capacity 
for friendship, by virtue of which there is many a person in and around 
the town who can say, "Hook and I are great friends." He is deeply in- 
terested in the affairs of the day transpiring in the life of the town or of the 
nation. And he is a discriminating, conscientious and careful student of those 
affairs. He is not known as a "man of letters", but his erstwhile connection 
with Uncle Sam's mail service, certainly gives him that title. In private 
conversation or in public meeting he is an attentive and appreciative listener. 
His Anglicized baptismal name is Hebrew for "Heard of God". But, 
puzzling as it may sound, his Judaism does not go beyond his Christian 
name. In other words, all that is Jew in him is his Christian name. This, 
of course, is a paradox. But Jew or Gentile saint or sinner, heretic or 
orthodox, we all relish a paradox once in a while. In substance and tem- 
perament, he is a typical Yankee. Hygiene and dietetics are his chief sub- 
jects of study and he practices their rules according to the dictates of common 
sense, which daily practice is likely to carry him to the century mark of life. 
At his beck and call are the three renowned physicians. Dr. Diet, Dr. Quiet 
and Dr. Merryman. He is rich enough to command their services whenever 
and wherever he needs them. And by employing them, he doesn't seem to 
grow either poor in purse or poorly in health. He doesn't have much flesh in 
his system, but he has all he needs or all he cares for. And isn't that 
wealth as well as health for any man or woman? 



XX. 
Orlando Henry Davenport 

of Boston 

"His words are bonds; his love sincere; his thoughts immaculate; his 
heart as far from fraud as heaven from earth.' ' Thjese words of Shakespeare 
are applicable to the subject of this brief sketch, Orlando Henry Davenport 
He inherited a good name from his sturdy, industrious, honest and upright 
ancestry, and he has kept that name unsul ied. In his case, it is the man 
behind the gun, so to speak or it is the sterling character sustaining the 
honored name and reputation. It has been said that Boston is complete, 
New York will be, Chicago may be, Jersey City might have been and Phila- 
delphia used to be. Being a true son of the first mentioned city, the only 
and proverbially completed city in the Union, the subject of our sketch has 
a completed, well-rounded character. His life may be likened to a magni- 
ficent cathedral built on solid foundations and the parts nearest the ground 
as well as those soaring toward heaven — the turrets and the spires all — are 
complete. The possessor of a keen mind and of a strong will, his mind is 
his kingdom and his will his law. He is pleasant-faced and jolly, a good 
talker, a genial joker and an interesting and companionable man. In a 
word, " formed on the good old plan, a true and brave and downright honest 
man.' ' is the subject of our sketch. And he blows no trumpet in the market 
place or in the church. He loathes pretense, but he does with cheerful will 
what others talk of, while their hands are still. Integrity and sincerity, 
charity and purity are the four articles of his simple creed. " With maUce 
toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right, as Gcd gives m.e 
to see the right' ', is his motto. 



XXI. 

William Dehon King 

of Newport, R. I., and Plymouth, Mass. 

Courtesy and gentlemanliness are the innate and distinctive traits cf 
his life. He owes the culture of his mind not simply to his college education 
but also to the refined atmosphere of his early home life of ideal beauty. His 
business career and training in China and his extended travels at home and 
abroad in his youth and his association with distinguished people of both 
sexes have given him a liberal education and rendered him singularly sj-m- 
pathetic and remarkably broad-minded. A descendant of a bishop and 
closely connected with two Episcopal clergjTnen, he is a firm believer in 
religion. A lover of good literature in general and of choice poetry in parti- 
cular, he possesses some choice volumes of standard poems. His mind has 
been fed on good poems, as on "sweet food of sweetly uttered knowledge." 
And his love for and appreciation of choice poetry have enabled him to 
compose some excellent lines himself on various occasions. The subject of 
this sketch knows the true art of being a friend. And in the strength, 
warmth, sincerity, devotion and duration of his friendship, he is like Bishop 
Brooks of blessed memory, to whom an intimate friend said one day, " Brooks 
if you like a man, you swallow him whole." To "break bread" with his 
friends affords him genuine delight and in the words of the poet, he says not 
infrequently to his friends: 

" You must come home with me and be my guest; 

You will give joy to me, and I will do 

All that is in my power to honor you.' ' 



XXII. 
Mrs. Lucy S. Sanford 

of New York 

A merry heart, a merry laugh, 

A face with lots of sun in it, 

A merry tongue with merry chaflf 

And quip with lots of fun in it! 

It is quite unhkely that the author of the above lines ever had the 
pleasure and privilege of being acquainted with the subject of this sketch. 
Yet his words accurately depict her. She is a perfect lady by instinct, 
refined by birth, by training and by Hfe-long associations and cultured 
environment. The mistress of a cultured household, she has always been a 
beautiful type of highminded and noble-souled womanhood. Free from the 
spirit of ostentation, she has long been an ardent advocate of the best sort 
of the simple life. And she is a lover of God's out-of-doors and a constant 
and conscientious doer of the deeds of kindness. A discriminating reader, a 
judicious thinker and a quick assimi lator, she has, in the course of her long 
and useful life, devoured some of the best literary output of many master- 
minds. And in the course of her highly interesting and instructive conver- 
sations, she often embellishes and enriches her remarks with apt and accurate 
quotations from the best authors and poets, ancient and modem, that de- 
light her interlocutors. Her heart is replete with sunshine and her life is 
buoyed up with the cheerful music produced by her deft fingers as well as 
by the sweet symphony of her soul. Optimism characterizes her views of 
life and hopefulness adorns her words and enlivens all her activities. Dis- 
tinct and decisive are her thoughts and beautifully worded and clear-cut 
are their expression. In a word, Mrs. Lucy S. Sanford is 

"A perfect woman nobly planned, 

To warm, to comfort, and command; 

And yet a spirit still and bright. 

With something of angelic light." 



XXIII. 

An Adopted Son of Uncle Sam 
in a Yankee Pulpit. 

When Joseph Parker was questioned about his sermon, he was unwilling 
to take the public into his confidence. His first sermon had given him suff. 
ering enough, and he wanted to let it alone. I have no audacity to compare 
myself with Dr. Parker even in the matter of my first sermon. But pain is 
pain whether felt by Joseph Parker or an ordinary John Jones. It is a 
case of fleas and their bites — no matter how large the fleas and how sharp 
their bites, "Great fleas have little fleas upon their backs to bite 'em, and 
little fleas have lesser fleas, and so ad infinitum". Unlike Dr. Parker 
however, my motto is, "Tell it out." 

In 1893 I was, according to a well-known divide, yet a half-baked 
theologue. One day in winter when one of my professors asked me if I 
would go to a village in Massachusetts to preach on Sunday, I consented 
hesitatingly. Why shouldn't I hesitate? One sermonic experiment pre- 
pared for classroom criticism was the contents of my "barrel." Moreover 
this was to be my first English sermon. Had I anglicized my patronymic, 
which I had not, had my face been altered, which hadn't been, still the fact 
remained that my "accent" was changed, and any one could easily say to 
me, "Surely thou art a foreigner; thy speech betrayeth thee." 

But I had to begin some time, why not now? This consideration made 
me accept the offer. I started Saturday, but whether, owing to misdirec- 
tion or my confusion, I missed my host at the station. With some difficulty 
I hired a team to go to my destination, three miles away. Omitting my 
apologies to my host for disappointing him at the station, let us pass on to 
Sunday. 

In the church I had about the same feeling as did Belshazzer at his 
Babylonian feast. My countenance was changed, my thoughts troubled 
me, so that the joints of my loins were loosed, and my knees smote one 
against another. The service hour struck. Despite the organist's absence 
the audience sang the Doxology. After the responsive readings came the 
first hymn. No sign of the organist yet. I arose and announced my hymn, 
hoping that some one would volunteer to lead. But the merciful angel 
wasn't forthcoming. After two minutes I commenced. Now a knowledge 
of music isn't one of my besetting sins. I sing, but the rest should better 
be left unsaid. Whether my key ^ was%r C clef I have no recollection. 
This I know that I was at sea, and high seas at that. No flat existed in the 
music, it was bristling with sharps— every note so sharp as to pierce even 
to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, andof the joints and marrow— of 



my audience. The first line was a solo. At the second line some sisters 
(Bless their kind hearts!) took compassion on me and the solo became a 
sextette. But the singing was like wisdom's highway, "with here and 
there a traveler," and such high strung stragglers! 

After the second hymn, just before which the organist had arrived, I 
began my sermon! Juiceless, pointless, unpractical, didactic, swelling with 
classic, classroom odors, overloaded with thological expressions and without 
a message or appeal. Had the sermon the measles, no one in the house 
could possibly catch the disease. Phonographlike was it deHvered, and 
when ended all felt reheved. 

Benediction pronounced, the superintendent invited the preacher to 
the Sunday School. Upon his request I handed him my card. He stared 
at my name — Haig Adadourian. Whew! He wanted me to offer the open- 
ing prayer. But when he arose to announce it, aye, there was the rub! 
How could he pronounce that impossible name? In vain attempts at 
pronunciation many others before him had almost died — of laughter, 
lockjaw, exhaustion, or exasperation. Hydrangea, hallelujah, antediluvian, 
auditorium and many others had been tried, the nearest hit being Adoni- 
ram. Whoever would expect this farmer to pronounce this tongue-twister, 
nay, this jawbreaker? He looked at the card, he hummed and he hawed 
and finally triumphantly got out of the difficulty by saying, " The minister 
will now lead us in prayer." And the minister did. 

After the ordeal the theologue safely returned to his seminary. It is 
now precisely two decades since that to me painful but important day. 
And yet it is as fresh in my memory as the events of yesterday. 



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